Upper Expander Concerns

Message

#1 Post by **Debbie** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am

Hi,

I'm 35 years old and new to braces. After years and years of being embarrased about my teeth I have finally decided to do something about it. Although expensive I will be following the ClearStep (form of Invisalign) approach but before that, my Orthodontist advised that I initially try an upper expander for about 4 months. Apparantely I have a small mouth and my upper teeth including the front need to move outwards.

I had this removable upper expander fitted on Thursday (5th July) but i'm finding it really hard to talk properly....will I ever get use to it?

I'm taking it out whenever the phone rings and am trying to read out loud all the time but i'm not getting any better.

I work full time and need to speak to people all the time. Has anyone got any advice or am I just stressing unnecessarily???

Thanks...Debbie

#2 Post by **Lisa65** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:45 am

Hi Debbie

I haven't got an expander but there are several members here who have. A quick use of the search function on this forum should turn some up, but a few I can recall are adrienne (she has just got hers), peach and Brandyleigh.

My recommendation to you however would be - don't be tempted to keep removing the appliance. All the while it isn't in your mouth it isn't doing its job and it will take you that much longer to get used to it. Brandyleigh and some others here whose names escape me at the moment had fixed expanders cemented into place, and although of course it took them a while to get used to it, they all did in the end. Any foreign body in your mouth, be it braces, an expander, a palatal bar, a tongue ring, will all make your mouth produce extra saliva to begin with, and this can be distressing and uncomfortable. IT DOES GET BETTER THOUGH! You can help yourself by staying hydrated to minimise chafing and discomfort, and practising speaking as much as possible.

This is a passage quoted originally by KK on this site which might help you with the speech.

The Rainbow Passage ... is a great tool used by many speech pathologists. It contains most of the sounds and phonetic combinations in the English language. Repeat this several times a day out loud. Itâ€™s great practice for getting your tongue used to talking around foreign appliances.

The Rainbow Passage

When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colours. These take the shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond his reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Best of luck
Lisa

#3 Post by **Debbie** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:23 am

Hi Lisa,

Thank you for your advice. I will keep trying and also use the passage that you provided.

Many thanks

Debbie

#4 Post by **gunter8888** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:39 pm

Hi Debbie and welcome to the expander club. I began my braces treatment with 6 months in a removable expander and I am now 2 weeks into my second expander. While it is possible to adapt to them, they are not fun. Personally, I think the extra plastic on the removable expanders makes them worse than the fixed/banded expanders.

The more you talk with it in the easier it gets. Also remember that you sound worse to yourself than you do to other people.

Best of luck and feel free to ask any questions.

#5 Post by **adrienne** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:21 am

hi debbie! i'm adrienne and i got my expander last weds and so far i've pretty much gotten used to it.
i can talk properly except for words which need my upper palate thing but gradually you'll just get used to it!
like lisa said, practice with the rainbow passage because it's helped me a lot!

good luck with your expander!